The Seventh Domain: Immortal Burial Realm!

When Su Xuan heard those words, not the slightest flicker of surprise showed on his face. He had always known that sooner or later, Li Guanqi would ask. Looking at Li Guanqi with gentle eyes, Su Xuan handed his pipe over and murmured, "Pack some more tobacco for Grandpa." Li Guanqi did as told. The old man then tucked his hands into his sleeves, a look of reminiscence surfacing in his eyes. Only after a long while did he finally speak. "Actually, there are many things I shouldn't be telling you. "The 'Seventh Domain'... is merely what the people of the world's Six Domains call this place. "Because they only know that heaven is divided into Six Domains, unaware of the existence of the Ethereal Immortal Domain or here. So when the Eight Generals roamed the mortal realm, the world came to learn that another domain existed beyond the rest." Li Guanqi nodded silently. He already knew all of this. A touch of solemnity crept into Su Xuan's voice as he said softly, "In the eyes of those in the Immortal Realm, those of us in the Seventh Domain are seen as rebels against the immortals." At this, a sneer curled the corner of the old man's mouth. "Clay chickens and pottery dogs, daring to spout such grandiose nonsense... "And so, we call the Seventh Domain... the Immortal! Burial! Realm! "And I am the Realm Lord of this Immortal Burial Realm. Beneath me is Ling Tianchen—the old beggar you speak of. "Below him are the Four Kings. I found a drop of blood essence from each of the Four Divine Beasts and fused it into them. "Azure Dragon, Wen Guyan. "White Tiger, Bai Su. "Vermilion Bird, Bie Ruxue. "Black Tortoise, Xuan Yue. "These four are from the same era as Ling Tianchen, and they have followed me for ten thousand years... "Then there are the Eight Generals, who are also crucial figures in the Immortal Burial Realm. "Their duty is to eliminate those who attempt to ascend to immortality! "Naturally, I knew about Youming all along, but Xun Tian genuinely caught me off guard..." Speaking of this, the old man showed a hint of embarrassment. The man had hidden himself too deeply. From the very beginning, he had evaded Su Xuan's watchful eye. After all, for someone who cultivated step-by-step up from the lowest ranks, every move had a clear trail; even Su Xuan hadn't thought twice about him. The more Li Guanqi listened, the more shaken he became. When he heard that the Seventh Domain's true name was the Immortal Burial Realm, tumultuous waves surged within his heart! Furthermore... If Wen Guyan and the other Four Kings were at the peak of the Tribulation Transcendence realm, then wasn't Ling Tianchen... a top-tier powerhouse of the Ascension realm? Even a figure like that still bowed before Grandpa. And... the Eight Generals' true mission! Li Guanqi knitted his brows tightly, stunned by the secrets of the Immortal Burial Realm. "Then Grandpa, why did you create the Immortal Burial Realm in the first place?" Su Xuan looked at Li Guanqi, finally speaking as if unburdening himself of a heavy load. "Because... Grandpa had to stop them from coming down to look for you... "Yet no one expected that this obstruction of mine would last ten thousand years." Li Guanqi's breath hitched. Never had he imagined that the entire Human Spirit Realm having no immortals for ten thousand years was actually because of him! Su Xuan glanced at the sword coffin before him and said softly, "For ten whole thousand years, those bastards in the Immortal Realm have never given up looking for the sword spirit. "That is why... I dare not allow Mahayana cultivators of the Human Spirit Realm to ascend to the Immortal Realm! "Once the passage opens, the suppression between the mortal and immortal realms drops to its lowest point! "If even a single immortal descends at all costs, it would spell catastrophic ruin for the Human Spirit Realm! "Therefore... I dare not, nor can I, permit them to ascend! "If they truly set their minds on destroying this realm, anyone sent down would possess terrifying might. "They would even dispatch someone more powerful than me!" Li Guanqi murmured in shock, "Just for the sword spirit?" Before Su Xuan could reply, the sword spirit manifested from the sword coffin of her own accord! The striking, fair-toothed woman looked toward Su Xuan. After a long silence, the proud sword spirit still showed no reverence toward him. She merely gazed at the old man quietly and said a single phrase: "Thank you." Yet at the same time, questions lingered in the sword spirit's heart, though she chose not to ask. To her mind, since she had made her choice, she would not easily waver. Even if it ultimately proved to be a mistake, she would accept the consequences. Looking at Su Xuan, the sword spirit spoke in an ethereal voice, "Are you going to let him go up?" Su Xuan shook his head and said gently, "I will, but not yet." "Then when?" "At least until he sits in my position." "Could that backfire?" "No. Only when he becomes like me will he avoid being bullied once he goes up." "And what about me?" "I will make preparations in advance. Please rest assured." "All right." With those words, the sword spirit gave Li Guanqi a deep look, turned, and dissolved into thin air. Their cryptic exchange left Li Guanqi scratching his head in frustration... "Grandpa, I understand every single word you two said, but strung together, I don't get any of it..." Su Xuan burst into laughter. "Don't get it? That's as it should be! "From now on... you can unleash your natural gifts and talent to the absolute fullest!" Li Guanqi suddenly realized something and said in a grave voice, "Grandpa, hearing you say this... are you no longer planning to block them?" Su Xuan did not answer directly, only saying softly, "It's about time. "You all must reach at least the Tribulation Transcendence realm before I'll let you go up! "Enough. I'm heading back for now. I'll come see you again tomorrow." Before the words had finished settling, only the lingering echo of the old man's voice remained. Left alone, Li Guanqi leaned back in his chair and looked up at the sky. Today's conversation had shocked him too deeply; there was simply too much information for him to digest. Gradually, a solemn look crept into Li Guanqi's eyes. If Grandpa wasn't lying... Then to the common folk, the Eight Generals might seem like unimaginably enigmatic, formidable cultivators from the Seventh Domain. Yet in the eyes of those cultivators nearing the end of their lifespans with no hope of ascension, every single one of those Eight Generals was an abominable villain deserving death! Because it was they who blocked them from ascending! No wonder each of the Eight Generals possessed such terrifying strength; they had clearly weathered countless life-and-death crises... Moreover, the White Jade Tower where they currently stayed was only the first tier of the Immortal Burial Realm. It was also the calmest tier, farthest from the Immortal Realm, yet its celestial spiritual qi was exceptionally dense. Cultivating here for a single day was worth an entire month of painstaking cultivation in the Human Spirit Realm. Li Guanqi exhaled a long breath, suddenly feeling as though a mountain of matters weighed heavily on his chest. What Li Guanqi did not know was that Su Xuan had shouldered hundreds of times more pressure for his sake over nearly ten thousand years! Throughout that ten-thousand-year span, the people of the Immortal Realm had never stopped scheming to descend and search for traces of the sword spirit. From this alone, one could see just how precious those eight years were—when Su Xuan's avatar had carried the scabbard and accompanied Li Guanqi. Ling Tianchen had nearly died more than ten times during those eight years! Yet from start to finish, Ling Tianchen had never uttered a single word of complaint. Because he firmly believed that Su Xuan would make it up to all of them many times over. Li Guanqi took a deep breath, suddenly wanting to go outside for some fresh air. Meanwhile, Ye Feng and Xiao Chen had arrived at the only tavern on the first tier.